The Times They Are A-Changin': New CAPtains for Create-A-Pokemon

DougJustDoug

Knows the great enthusiasms
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With the new year here, this is the perfect time for new things for the Create-A-Pokemon Project. It's time to pass the torch. Effective immediately, Birkal and I are jointly retiring as heads of the Create-A-Pokemon project. This is not some sudden decision, and it is not motivated by anything political that has happened or whatever. It's something Birkal and I have been discussing for a while and we both think it's time to make it official.

For all intents and purposes, I have been informally retired as head of the CAP project for quite some time now. Birkal and the other mods have been doing most of the heavy lifting in leading the project for a long time. Over the past couple of years, I really have been more of a leadership advisor to the mod staff, and an occasional technical admin. Birkal was on Smogon Senior Staff and Head Mod of CAP and he and I have always been on the same page regarding my role. But with Birkal stepping down, I want to make it official to everyone that I am no longer the Head of the Create-A-Pokemon project.

The new co-leads of CAP will be snake_rattler and Quanyails, who both have some ambitious goals for Create-A-Pokemon and they are going to do great things as heads of this awesome community! You will hear more from them about their plans over the coming days and weeks, and CAP29 will be starting any day now.

Birkal will comment for himself about his future plans, but we are not leaving CAP or Smogon completely. I will continue to serve as a CAP moderator and lend senior advice and insight to the CAP mod team, mostly during active CAP creation projects. But I really am just interested in giving advice.

I have had plenty of time being "In Charge" around here, and I have had tons of fun working to lead the project. I think we have built a fantastic base of principles and processes for the CAP project, and we've made a lot of great new Pokemon over the years. But Smogon and the game of Pokemon is very different than it was when I founded the CAP project more than 13 years ago. I am super-excited to see where new CAP leadership takes this project, and I want to help as a sounding board, and perhaps as a shoulder to cry on when things get difficult. Regardless of what I do, I will always be a fan of this project!

In the old days, I used to end every Smogon front page announcement I made about CAP with a call out to potential new members, so I'll end this with that same tag line, which is as true now as it was then:

"Come join the fun!"
 

Birkal

We have the technology.
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I emphatically ditto everything Doug said. Throughout my decade of modding CAP, it feels like the two of us have always been on the same page. It’s only fitting that we both decide to retire from the project at the same time. I couldn’t put it any better than he has. There is no drama involved in this transition of leadership: we are both just two old guys looking to pass the baton to fresh leadership.

But unlike him, I will be completely retiring from the Create-A-Pokemon Project as an official leader. I think the moderation team right now is the best it’s ever been, and I’d like for them to feel open and free to guide our community in the direction they feel is best. Ultimately, the community is the real leader of the democratic CAP process, but it feels like the right time for this transition to happen.

That being said, I have a lot of love for CAP and won’t be leaving any time soon! You will still see me submitting zany concepts, flailing on the ladder, and drawing my brains out one hour before deadline on Art Submissions. If you ever have any questions about CAP and its history, I am happy to be your guide. I don’t have much else to say here, because it’s not really goodbye! Thank you all, every one of you, for the laughs and memories.
 
holy crap i never thought id see the day.. i definitely didnt want to see birkal and doug leave but those are certainly two very qualified individuals
 
This truly is the end of an Era in CAP history.
Thank you Doug and Birkal for everything you have done for CAP.

Though I am happy to hear you 2 will still be around (and Birkal submitting artwork + because I really loved your art for Mias +being CAP 29 TL).
A huge congrats to snake and Quan for stepping up as leaders.
 

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